A Wisconsin state soup? Booyah!

Wisconsin has a lot of official things. An official state flag, a state bird, a state tree, a state flower, even a state tartan, and a state pastry. It is the kringle, by the way. But there are still some things which are not official in Wisconsin. Like soup. Wisconsin does not have an official state soup, and one northeast Wisconsin lawmaker wants to change that. Rep. John Macco has introduced a bill that would make Belgian Booyah the official state soup. It is a traditional Belgian dish, and Macco points out that Northeast Wisconsin has the largest Belgian community in the world outside of Belgium. That may be a source of pride, but it hardly seems reason to make Booyah the official state soup. I don’t think we need an official state soup, but if we do, it shouldn’t be a soup most people have never heard of. I had to look up a recipe for Booyah, and found it is a brothy soup made with chicken, pork or beef, featuring vegetables like carrots, potatoes and rutabaga. How can such a soup stand up to the likes of chicken noodle? Its the go to for those a little under the weather, and makes those who eat it feel good. But if Wisconsin were to select an official state soup, I nominate the Wisconsin favorite, beer cheese soup. Topped with bratwurst. Now that says Wisconsin. Booyah!